The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of dietary cholesterol administered as whole egg or egg white (control)on muscle mass gain with resistance training in a young old population of men and women (age 50-69). It is hypothesized that dietary cholesterol will be significantly associated to muscle mass gain.

The primary objective of this proposal is to have 36 men and women (age 50-69) perform 12 weeks of resistance exercise training for the purpose of inducing skeletal muscle hypertrophy. These individuals will consume either 0, 1, or 3 whole eggs per day in a double-blind design to test the hypothesis that dietary cholesterol is essential for skeletal muscle hypertrophy. If so proven, this will confirm a very strong association between dietary cholesterol and hypertrophy observed in a previous study of 51 men and women (age 60-69). The current proposal is using a randomized double-blind, placebo controlled design to provide the most conclusive evidence that dietary cholesterol plays an essential role in skeletal muscle hypertrophy.

The secondary objective of this proposal is to test the hypothesis that increased dietary cholesterol consumption in the context of an exercise program does not alter blood cholesterol concentrations or other cardiovascular risk factors.

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

50 Years to 69 Years (Adult, Senior)

Genders Eligible for Study:

Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

Yes

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

men and women aged 50-69

able to perform exercise testing and training

Exclusion Criteria:

blood pressure > 160/100

cardiac arrhythmias

cancer

hernia

aortic aneurysm

kidney disease

lung disease

total cholesterol > 240 mg/dl or < 160 mg/dl

current use of cholesterol lowering medications

actively participating in >1 hour per week of resistance training

Contacts and Locations

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To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00260442